28 June 2018 04:28 pm
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, the deputy minister criticized the STF officers’ behaviour and outlook and said the officers had violated many rules and regulations of the country.
According to sources, several Suriyawewa STF camp officer in civvies conducted a raid to nab illegal sand transporters around noon and had searched several Tipper trucks near the forest reserve following a tip received.
The STF officers held two lorry drivers and their mobile phones after they noticed several irregularities in their sand permits, while a few STF officers went to check the mining location.
The Deputy Minister, who was at the forest reserve to monitor renovation work of an electric fence, had crashed into the scene following information received from the villagers and had allegedly lambasted the STF officers.
After crashing into the scene, the Deputy Minister had questioned our officers why they were in civvies,” an officer who were on the raid said.
“He had also forced our officers to return the mobile phones that they took into custody for prevent any leakage of information,” he said.
A top brass STF officer said that the Deputy Minister had obstructed their officers using inappropriate words making way to the escape of several illegal sand transporters.
Deputy Minister Thewarapperuma said that due to the STF officers unruly behaviour public rights were violated in broad daylight.
“Officers were like underworld thugs wearing shorts and slippers and with beards. If it was an official raid that should have been done in uniform. the innocent public were inconvenienced because of this,” he said.
He also said that when the matter was informed to the STF Suriyawewa Camp, a high ranking officer with around 30 officers came into the scene with guns loaded in an ambulance and several other vehicles.
The Deputy Minister said that according to the International Red Cross move no weapons can be transported inside an ambulance therefore the STF had also violated international norms.
He said although the matter was informed to the Suriyawewa Police OIC and the STF Commandant, Senior DIG M R Latheef no action was taken. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
Video by Roshan Gunasekara